Backyard Parties – BackYardWay

Parties are where we have fun and celebrate our milestones and victories. They are also where we meet family and friends with whom we long to communicate. Nowadays, backyard parties are a trend for families because they are private, intimate, and less expensive than renting a venue. But how do you prepare a backyard for a party? To prepare your backyard for a party, the first step is to clean the space. Mow, cut, or edge your lawn, hide the home and garden equipment, and to boost the appeal of the venue, add some flowers and trim your perennials. Then, you can proceed to the basic needs of a party like adding seats, tables, food, and a drinking area. Also, consider repairing and applying quick fixes to your deck and patio furniture. In this article, we will discuss how to prepare your backyard for a party. These quick fixes will help guide you in preparing your backyard for the coolest party ever. Ways to Prepare Your Backyard for a Party Throwing a party is our way of socializing with our family, friends, and colleagues. Nowadays, parties are held in the host's backyard for some privacy and intimate reasons. Contrary to renting a venue, hosting a party at home is cost-efficient, so why not hold it in your backyard? To throw the coolest party, a backyard party venue requires extra attention and preparation. If you want to impress your guests, here is how to prepare your backyard for a party. 1. Cut, mow, or edge the grass One of the first ways to prepare your backyard for a party is to cut the grass or mow the lawn. Cutting or mowing the green areas of your backyard is important when you are organizing a party to keep the area clean and presentable. If you have a natural lawn, consider edging it for a better appearance. Edging doesn't take much time but will have a big impact on the cleanliness and appearance of your yard. Pull the annoying and big weeds to get them out of sight. You can cover small weeds with pea gravel. And if you have bald areas of dirt with small weeds, cover them with mulch, bark, or wood chips. 2. Fix lawn problems Bald and brown spots on your lawn are an eyesore in your backyard party. They will leave a bad impression and might cause some trouble to your guests. Thus, fix your lawn by patching bald and brown spots with new sod, adding more ground cover materials, or hiring a landscaper that could help you settle this problem quickly. 3. Buy wood chips or mulch To spruce up your yard, it is ideal to use wood chips or mulch. Those are perfect, quick fixes for backyards that lose their luster or have an unfinished landscape. These organic materials are also cheap and the easiest way to bring texture and color to your backyard while covering bald areas. They also help fix your flower beds, cover small holes, and refresh the look of your backyard. 4. Clean the surroundings Cleaning your backyard is a major factor that would make your venue presentable and neat — from sweeping the fallen leaves and debris to removing the webs and unwanted objects that could be an eyesore for your backyard venue and guest. It is also an important step to undergo before conducting a backyard party. Keep the area clean so the guests will be happy and feel welcomed. 5. Clean the driveway, walkway, and patio Don’t forget to clean your driveway, walkway, and patio for these areas are where most of your guests will stay, especially the patio. Sweep and scrub moss, mildew, and other unwanted things in this area to prevent mishaps and have a presentable, receiving look. If necessary, repair some crumbling surfaces and patch some walkway paths. Also, inspect your deck for any signs of deterioration and decaying wood, loose railings, or stained boards to avoid any accidents when people stomp on them. Once the area is safe, clean it and give the deck a makeover. If it's your first time to own a yard, there are a lot of things that you need to know if you want to keep it green and healthy. From regular mowing and watering to aerating the soil once in a while, you have quite a bit of new chores that you need to do. To help you with this task, here is our complete guide to yard maintenance for new homeowners. 6. Add more seats and tables Depending on the party you will host, you must take note of the number of guests you will have, so you can add more seats and tables to accommodate them. You don’t want your guests to be standing for a long time and have nowhere to place their plates. You can either call a rental service, make the seats yourself, or purchase ground cushions and blankets. Make sure to set the right color of seats and tables based on the theme of your party. Another option to add more seating capacity is to purchase new patio furniture. Although it isn’t a cheap option, it is a quick fix. If you don’t have time to repaint, stain, or repair your existing patio furniture, buying a new one is a quick solution. It will also increase the visual appeal of your patio. 7. Set up lightings If your backyard party will last past sundown, you might want to consider putting up some lights. You can invest in lanterns or DIY your outdoor lighting. Some outdoor lights are also available at local home stores and are ready for installations and plug-ins. Lights are important when preparing your backyard for a party, especially if it involves grilling. They will also illuminate your backyard to help you and your guests enjoy the party. Also, consider installing lights along dark walkways to illuminate the area and avoid tripping hazards. You can use solar or battery-operated lights as they are convenient and don't require wiring. 8. Get the grill and grilling area ready Depending on the type of party you will host, food may be the main character. Whether you have it catered or cooked by yourself, it's important to set it up next to the grill, where you have everything you need. To seamlessly make food for everyone, have the food, utensils, plates, containers, seasoning, and everything you and the guests need near the grill. Aside from preparing the grilling area, you should also get your grill ready. Make sure the grill is clean and ready for your party. To clean the grates of the grill, use water and soap. First, turn the grill on for 10 to 15 minutes to soften the debris that is stuck on the grates. Allow the grill to cool down for a while before cleaning it using a stiff wire grill brush. 9. Fill up your propane tank Make sure to fill up your propane tanks to avoid interruption while grilling or cooking food for the guests. You don’t want to run out of propane in the middle of cooking. 10. Set up a bar area Set up an area in your backyard where you can put the drinks, ice, and glasses. With a bar area, your guests can easily get their desired drinks and serve themselves. 11. Play some music Music — alongside free food — makes the party alive. Set up your outdoor speakers and create a perfect playlist for your guests to enjoy. 12. Decorate your backyard A backyard party would be dull without any decorations. Depending on the kind of party that will be held, it is best to decorate your yard, whether it is fabulous and big or minimalist. Guests will surely enjoy taking pictures at your party with good decorations. 13. Check your outdoor furniture Outdoor furniture is left outdoors to provide us with comfort and relaxation. However, when you are hosting a party, consider checking the furniture, especially if they are left outdoors for a long time without being used. Check whether there are any signs of deterioration, scratches, unsightly nicks, rusts, discoloration, mesh sling rips, and more. Fix the problems immediately or replace the furniture if you can afford to do so. 14. Hide ugly fence or wall There is no time for major repairs when you are hosting a party. Thus, the best thing you should do to ugly walls and fences is to hide them. You can deal with permanent repairs once the party's over. There are many options for hiding your ugly walls and fences. You can visit your local home improvement store and look for reed fencing, bamboo fencing, or lattice. You can also immediately install the reed fencing using a staple gun. For bamboo fencing, install it using zip ties or nails to an existing wall or fence. 15. Hide unwanted things For an appealing venue, hide unwanted and unnecessary items, like garbage cans, maintenance tools, gardening equipment, and anything else that could be off in the venue. Make sure to hide them in an out-of-the-way or side area of your backyard where guests aren’t allowed. If you have a backyard shed, it would be better to keep these things away from the sight of the guests. A thin and unhealthy lawn is definitely not an ideal sight for every homeowner. The thing is, having a thick and healthy lawn is not that difficult to achieve. Want to know how to make your lawn thicker? Read our article to find out what you need to do to achieve your dream lawn. 16. Deadhead your plants When preparing for a party, it is important to keep the ambiance and venue welcoming. You might want to consider deadheading your annuals, roses, and other perennials. Deadheading your plants helps improve both the look and performance of your flowering perennials. This will also give time for the flowers to rebloom in time for your next party. 17. Buy potted plants If you need more colors and a party-like appearance in your backyard, consider replacing dead plants in the borders of your yard, containers, or flower beds. Go and buy potted plants at your local garden or nursery shop. You can simply display them around your yard and place them in containers or in holes in the ground and cover the pots with dirt, mulch, or wood chips. If you don’t have time to dig holes, you can put them on the ground and surround them with enough wood chips to cover the pots. 18. Keep your pets away If you have pets at home, clean them up. Whether they are trained or not, it is best to keep them away from the guests to avoid any harm or accidents. Clean or pick up their poop around your yard for guests might step on them during the party, which could disgust them. 19. Put away your children’s toy Cleaning is part of repairing your backyard for a party, and if you have toddlers, and thus, toys are scattered around, consider hiding them in a storage area or playroom. Even though it is a backyard party, consider cleaning your home and hiding the toys away from your children. You might also place your backyard playset, if you have one, in an area that is quite far from the venue. Conclusion A party is already grand with the food and drinks, but you could always make your venue more appealing and welcoming to your guests. With these 19 ways to prepare your backyard for a party, you know which things you should prioritize. Before you throw a party, make sure your backyard is clean and ready to serve the guests. If your backyard is already in good condition, you won't have to do much in terms of cleaning but it still won't hurt to go through everything and check if anything needs to be attended to. Do not neglect minor issues for they may lead to accidents that your guests wouldn’t like. With this article, you surely will have a great party that will give a good impression on your guests.